Jazz and romance at Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain in the summer. A beautiful place for an easy weekend getaway.

Last year we spent a lovely weekend at Copper Mountain in August. We were attending the Genuine Jazz & Wine Festival. I like jazz, but I was mostly there for the wine. The music, however, turned out to be the highlight of the weekend, as well as the resort itself.

Copper is compact, which makes it great for walking. We left our car in the garage and didn’t see it again until we left on Sunday, and that’s my kind of getaway.

Unless you’re staying during one of the larger fests, like Wanderlust or Warrior Dash, Copper is pretty quiet in the summertime, which makes it feel like a genuine escape. Plus, it’s nice and cool up there, especially while riding the chairlift to the top of the mountain (I was wishing I’d packed a coat).

Drinking beer on the chairlift. We had bought them on the top & the operator said it was perfectly okay to ride down with them. Beer on a chairlift? Best thing ever.

I love music in general, and although I don’t know a lot of contemporary jazz artists, when I was offered tickets to Genuine Jazz & Wine Fest I wasn’t about to turn them down. The jazz was outstanding.

Some of last year’s headliners were Ronnie Laws and Stanley Jordan. This year Kim Waters and Rick Braun will take the stage, among others. The setting of this music festival is very intimate and you feel truly connected with the musicians and the other audience members. Learn more at GenuineJazz.com.

Like a lot of resorts, Copper has many summer activities available and offers an Activity Pass. We tried to do nearly everything the pass allowed, including the zip line over West Lake. It’s a good little starter zip line, and I loved every millisecond of it. I’ve gone on much bigger zips since last August, but the one at Copper Mountain will always hold a special place in my heart.

Yes, that’s me. My first zip line ever! Photo by Ryan Schlaefer.

In addition to activities such as zip lining, go karting, chairlift riding, etc. there are other things to do in Copper as well. Rent or bring your bike and ride the paved Vail Pass Bike Path. If you want to be a show off you can ride all the way to Vail, or you can be dropped off at the top of the pass and ride downhill back into Copper (this would be my style).

We did a little hiking on the top of Copper Mountain, where the views will blow you away. We saw a big fat marmot up there, so that totally made my entire trip. If you’re a golf enthusiast there’s a course in East Village, along with JJ’s Grill, great for pizzas. There’s also Woodward, for those adrenaline junkies. Check out their website to experience the true awesomeness of this place.

Hiking around on the top of Copper Mountain with my main squeeze.A fat marmot on top of Copper Mountain. I”d never seen one so big!

There are a couple nice eateries open in the summer, including our favorite, Alpinista. Our condo, in the Covered Bridge Neighborhood in the village center, had a full kitchen, so we ate a few meals in, including breakfast and enjoyed the comforts of our room and its gigantic tub.

It was a wonderful weekend, and with all the jazz and wine, it was also very romantic. For more information on Copper Mountain go to CopperColorado.com.